As oil passes the $50 per barrel mark, and gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles generate headlines, it is worth noting that there is more than one way to attain improved fuel economy. Yet, as gas prices continue to rise across the country, the need for more fuel-efficient trucks and SUVs is becoming more prevalent. While gas-electric hybrid engines have been hailed for their fuel-savings, they’re still an expensive option available on a limited number of vehicles. Read more . . .

Soon you might fill up your car’s fuel tank right in your own garage. And the fuel won’t be gasoline, but natural gas. So you can smell something new is in the air.

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Lost in the shuffle in the media hype about alternative vehicle fuels is natural gas. But natural gas burns so clean and emission-free that the Environmental Protection Agency has labeled the U.S.-made Honda Civic GX the “cleanest internal combustion engine-powered vehicle ever tested.” Read more . . .

Okay, they might not be as funny as a David Letterman Top 10 list, but they do get better mileage. Four diesel-powered vehicles placed among the Top 10 fuel economy leaders, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.) The Volkswagen New Beetle, Golf, Jetta, and Jetta Wagon diesel models are the vehicles included in the efficiency rankings.

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“This annual report highlights the near-term energy saving benefits of more clean diesel cars, pick-ups and SUVs in the U.S.,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. “These rankings underscore the role advanced diesel technology could play in improving U.S. fuel economy and energy security.”

Perhaps nothing on the average automobile is as taken for granted as its tires. Most people know they’re black and round, and not much else. But tires can not only improve the handling of your car, but also serve as a hidden asset on the forefront of the battle against pollution and fuel waste.

Tires? Tires can aid in the battle against pollution? You’ve got to be kidding me! Well, no, we’re not. Tires are not simply crucial in Read more . . .

If you’ve ever driven in an urban area you’ve undoubtedly been there: stranded in a traffic jam where vehicles seem as if they’re mired in a thick, gooey form of molasses. Time stands still, radiators burst, and tempers reach fever pitches. Getting caught in a traffic jam engenders an irritating feeling of helplessness, aggravated by the fact that empowerment is the watchword in today’s world. While your car usually gives you the figurative freedom to soar like a bird, empowering you to do things previous generations could only Read more . . .